Flying machine



C. DORNIER Aug. 3, 1937;

FLYING MACHINE Filed March l, 1934 3 Shee-ts-Sheetl C. DORNIER FLYING MACHINE Aug. 3, 1937.

Filed March 1, 1954 sheets-sheet 2 ffm/eff Zar; @laude or/z/'ff' l ffy.

Aug. 3, 1937-v c. DORNIER Y 2,088,692

FLYING MACHINE Patented Aug. 3, Y i i *Y UNITED STATES PATENT ori-*ICE* FLYING MACHINE l Claude- Dornier, Friedrlchsliafen-on-the-Bodensee, Germany, assignor of one-half to Dornier- Metallbauten G. m. b. H., Friedrichshafen-ontlie-Bodensee, Germany Application March 1, 1934, Serial No. 713,450

' y In Germany March 3, 1933v Claims. (Cl. 244-102) My invention relates to flying machines and the propeller shaft and engine, .3 being the vpromore particularly to the arrangement, in such peller. The cowl 2 is hinged tothe top of the machines, of the propellers and the supporting fuselage at 4 so as to be tiltable abouta horimeans, such as landing and starting gears, floats, zontal axis, as shown in dotted lines in` Fig. 1.

5 etc. in such machines. 5, 5 are the wheels of the carriage or landing gear, 5

It is an object of my invention to provide which are mounted on`an axlef`6, Vthe ends of means wherebylv the propellers and the supporting which are supported by arms lfrockable about means can be arranged in such manner as to imthe axis 8. Links Q connect the arms l with slides prove the stability and the aero-dynamic eili- I0 mounted for displacement in inclined tracks ciency'of the craft. Il. Rods I2 pivoted to points near the bottom 10 In ordinary airplanes for use on land. as well of the cowl 2 extend axially through the fuse-- as in seaplanes, flying boats, etc. diiliculties are lage, their rear ends being supported by.rollers I3. I frequently encountered in positioning the propel- 1 Sprockets Il and I5 Aare disposed inthe fuselage 1ers sufiiciently high above the ground cr the surabove and below the tracks I I, respectively, and

face of the water to prevent their tips from hitendless chains I6 running over these sprockets 15 f ting the ground or cutting through the water. lower the slides I0, fixed to them, in the tracks Moreover in hydroplanes4 and more especially in when the cranks I'I are turned in the direction of flying boats, if, in order to avoid this, the prothe aITOW. and lift them. When the Crank-S are peller shaft is positioned sufficiently high above turned the other way. Sheaves I8 mounted cothe water to prevent the tips of the propeller axially with the 60D Sprockets I4 serve for wind- 20A blades from entering the water, it may happen ing up cables I9 flxed to the-rear ends of the that the stability of the craft, more especially rods l2. Y when the engines are stopped of a sudden, ls When the cables are Vwound on the. sheaves I8, greatly impaired. the rods I2 being pulled forward cause the cowl 2 In order to avoid this and other drawbacks, I to tilt about its hinge point I, thereby lifting th 25 provide means for lifting the propeller free Vof PI'ODeller free 0f the ground. 'At the Same time the ground or the surface of the water before the sprockets I4 causing the chains to. shift the landing, and I combine therewith means for slides lll from their position of rest, shown in simultaneously lowering the landing gear, such dotted lines, into their lowermost positions allow as a carriage or the floats supporting the craft. the landing wheels 5 to be lowered into oper- 30 I may lift the propeller either by a. pox-ane] djsative position also. Inversely, if on starting the placement cf the propeller shaft or by a tilting craft the cranks are turned in clockwise direc-V movement of the shaft Vand Ivmey lift or tilt the tion. the slides l0 are'lifted in the tracks, pulling engine along with the shaft. In either case prothe links 9 and arms l along with them so as to vision is made for simultaneously lowering the swing the wheels back into inoperative position m35 landing gear and for lifting same again, when the the fuselage. While the Cables being UIlWOund propeller is lowered on starting.v from their sheaves I8 allow the weight ofthe In the drawings affixed to this specification and engine and Pl'Opeller i0 fOiCe the COWI back into forming part thereof several embodiments of my operative position.

40- invention are illustrated diagrammatically by In the airplane illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4A the 40 Way Ofxamplffuselage 20 is supported by the self-supporting Il? the drawings Y wing 2| between two engine cowls 22 hinged lto j Eg' .is a side lievatifm' i the front edge of the wing at 23. Armsv24 linked y pmi-1lerldpegmeegfandaorlflefggevgleitset 2s te supports so mounted in the fuselage sup- 45 Fig 3 is a front elevation', port the axles 26 of the landing wheels 21, whichk Fig. 4 is an elevation of a. twin-propeller airthus are pivoted to the hun The top ends of plane, p `struts 28 embracing these' axles are guided in Fig 5 is a similar View ofl a incdmed form' horizontal tracks 29. Cables 3U can be .wound i Fig 6 is a front elevation, 1 y .on sheaves 3| fixed to an axle v32 extending horl- 50 Fig 7a side` elevation of a flying boat' Y zontally across the fuselage substantially Yin the Fig. a illustrating a detallada larger seele, and vpiane Of the axes 0f the Propellers 33, when a Fig. 9 is a side elevation of an alternative form. Worm 34 meshing With 8' Wheel 35 Onthe axle 32 Referring to the drawings and first to Figs. 1 is turned by means of a crank 36. Other gear e and 2, I is the fuselage and 2 is a cowl enclosing wheels 31 xed on the axle to the rear of the 55 Y being woundvon the sheaves Ii, lift the wheel axles and cause the struts Il to travel along the tracks Il, until they have reached their horiv mm positions of rest mwhicn they are locked by pawls I! acted upon Vby spl srl'lfand fgoverned by cables 4i. Y

Pig. 5 illustrates a very simple form of connection between the propellers and the-landing gear.

Here the struts l! carrying the wheel axle are ilixedon theaxleonwhichisalsoilxed theen-v gine cowl M. By turning the crank' handle I5 androtating the worm L a worm wheel 41 keyed on the samesaxle is rotated and the axle turned in oneor the` other direction, tilting the cowl and propeller upwardly andl lowering the landing gear, orviceversa. r

Pigs. 6 and 'I 4show'the invention as applied to aff-lying boat. To'the'self-supporting wing l.

30. resting-courbe hun Il munged n thetwo enginercowls Il.' Parallel links Il, pivoted to the cowl at II andto the hull at l1, respectively-- support the iioats Il. The forward links il are .fixed to an axle l extending across the hull and and carrying a worm wheel ll actuated by a worm ll and crank handle L A sprocket wheel Il on the axle Il is connected with a sprocket Y wheel Il on anotheraxle aboveit, whichex tends through the hinge points of the cowls, by

40V meansrof a chain l. g

Sprocket wheels O1 on axle Il are connected by chains Il with similar wheels Il on the stumpV anda second member pivoted to said hull, and landing means supported 'by said members, a

plurality of rods pivoted to said propulsion unit V axles I1 carrying the links .By turning the handle l! both axles is and -415 can be rotated in the same direction, the cowls being tilted upwardly while the links Il," carryingtheiloatsareloweredandviceversm Pig. 9 illustrates a modiiication of the device `ahowninFlgs.7and8. Hereonlythe'loweraxle Il governing the floats is provided, the cowls be- `ing'acted'uponbythrustleversil nxedtothis axle andacting onthe rearfacesof the cowls YV nto tin'n them upwardly about theirhinge points 13.V Y

Obviously in all the embodiments here shown and describedtheaxlesmayaswellbetm'nedby motorial force.V y, f

I wishit tobe understood that I do not desire to be limited'to the exact details of construction :shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claimzl. In an aeroplane comprising a hull element and wing elements,. the combination of at least one propulsion unit mounted upon a pivotal axis directly on one of said elements, the center of,

mass of said propulsion unit being located ahead oi' said pivotal axis. with a landing gear pivoted on one of said elements for extension and retraction, mechanism connected at one end to said landing gear and supporting at least a part of the weight thereof, Vsaid mechanism at its other end being connected to said propulsion lunit at a point displaced fromsaid pivotal axis, and common actuating means for operating said landing pulsion unit and simultaneously sliding said secondmember in said guide path. thereby lowering Vsaid landing gear. 15

3. In an aeroplane comprising a hull element L and wing elements, the combination of at least Y one propulsion unit mounted upon a pivotal axis directly on one of said elements, the center of i muss of said propulsion unit being located ahead 20 of said pivotal axis, with a landing gear pivoted on one of said elements for extension and retraction, mechanism connected'at one end to said landing gear and supporting at least a part of .the weight thereof, said mechanism at its 25 other en d being connected to said propulsionunit at a point displaced from said pivotal axis, and common 4actuating means yfor operating said landingv gear and simultaneously, and infdependence thereupon, tilting said propulsion unit 30 relative to said hull and said wings, in a sense opposite to that in which the landing gear moves, whereby the weight of the landing gearat least partially balances the weight of the Vpropulsion unit, ysalti mechanismand said actuating means 35 comprising a rotary shaft, a.,V sprocket and a sheave mounted on'said shaft, another sprocket rotatably mounted on said hull, an endless chain passing over said sprockets, a guide path secured vbetween said sprockets and slides con'- 40 nested with sam cham slidably rarranged in said guide path, a member connected with said slide and supported in rollers mounted on said hull, and cables fastened to said rods and wound on said sheaves.

4. In an aeroplane comprising a hull element and wing elements, the combination of at least 50 one propulsion unitr mounted upon a pivotal axis directly on oneofrsaid'elements, the center of mass of said propulsion Yunit-'being located ahead of said pivotal axis, with a landing gear pivoted on one of said elements for extension and re-j 55 traction, mechanism connected at one end to said landing gear and supportingv Vat least a part of the weight thereof, said mechanism at its other end being connected tosaid propulsion unit at a point displaced from said pivotal axis, and com- 60 mon actuating means for operating said landing gear and simultaneously, and in dependence thereupon, tilting said propulsion unit relative to said hull and said wings, ina sense opposite to that in which the landing gear moves, whereby 65 the weight of the landing gear at least'partially Y balances the weight of the propulsion unit, said" mechanism and said actuating means comprising struts provided on the landinggear and pivoted to said hull, a guide path provided on said hull 70 and another strut supporting'said landing gear slidably arranged in said *guide path, said actuating means comprisingl a rotary shaft provided in said hull, a toothed wheel mounted on said shaft and a second toothed wheel mounted von said pm- 75 pulsion unit in mesh with the rst wheel, a sheave mounted on said shaft and a cable connected to said struts and adapted to be wound on said fsheave when said shaft is turned, thereby raising 'the landing gear while the propulsion unit is lowered.

5. In an hydroplane comprising a hull element and Wing elements, the combination of at least one propulsion unit mounted upon a pivotal axis directly on one of said elements, the center of mass of said propulsion unit being located ahead of said pivotal axis, with a landing float pivoted on one of said elements for extension and retraction, mechanism connected at one end to said landing float and supporting at least a part of the weight thereof, said mechanism at its other end being connected to said propulsion unit at a point displaced fromsaid pivotal axis, and' common actuating means for operating said landing float and simultaneously, and in Vdependence thereupon, tilting said propulsion unitV relative to said hull and said wings, in a sense opposite to that in which the landing float moves, whereby the weight of the landing float at least partially balances the weight of the propulsion unit, said mechanism and said actuating means comprising a rotary shaft mounted in said hull,

a plurality of arms connected with and actuatedV by said shaft,l said arms carrying said landing float, a sprocket mounted on said shaft, a second rotary shaft mounted in said hull and adapted to have said propulsion unit tiltably mounted thereon, a second sprocket mounted on said second shaft and means for connecting said first with said second sprocket for correlating the rotary movements of sad shafts.

CLAUDE DORNIER. 

